Door-closing device.



No. 766,386. PATENTBD AUG.`2, 1904. 0. C. RIXSON. DOOR CLOSING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED HAY 21, 1900.

UNITED STATES Patented August 2, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR C. RIXSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE OSCAR C. RIXSON CO., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

DOOR-CLOSING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming' part 0f Letters Patent No. 766,386, dated August 2, 1904.

Application filed May 21,1900. Serial No.17,386. (No model.)

Be it known that I, OSCAR C. RIXsoN, a citi- Zen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door-Closing Devices, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying' drawings, is a specification.

'Ihe first of the objects of my invention is the provision of a door closing device which will he of strong' and simple construction, reliable and eficient in its operation, and at the same time light in weight and cheap to manufacture. The several advantages enumerated I secure by constructing my apparatus with two pivotally connected movable arms, one attached to the door and the other to the frame, and combining therewith an actuating' spring, preferably of a cylindrical type, that is, one designed to operate in what might be called a straight-line direction, as contradistinguished from a torsion spring, the spring being preferably carried by the arms and provided with connections whereby to normally resist the rotative movement of the two arms relative to each other in the opening of the door.

Another means provided by me for accomplishing the several results above enumerated consists in the provision of a bracket containing a liquid checking' device, in combination with a spring, which is arranged in a casing, separate from the casing of the checking device, which is formed by the said bracket. By this means, viz: having the spring casing' a structure entirely separate and distinct `from the bracket containing' the checking' device, I am enabled, by a mere inversion of the position of the spring casing, together with the pivotally connected arms, to reverse the operation of the device without disturbing any of the parts of the checking mechanism, or the main bracket itself.

In carrying out my invention, the two pivotally connected movable arms above referred to are arranged with their connections to the door and to the frame, respectively, also pivotal or rotative, and means are provided whereby the straight-line spring used by me is'caused to operate upon the said arms to move the same by exerting force upon a point eccentric to one of the said pivotal connections.

In the preferred form of my invention, I also provide my apparatus with a bracket containing a checking' device, and an arm pivoted to the bracket and connected with, so as to actuate the checking' device, a spring being carried by the arm and so connected with the bracket and arm respectively as to exert a 'force tending' to resist the rotation of the arm upon the bracket.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a door check of improved construction` provided with an arm carrying a spring', preferably within the arm, and means for reversing the position of the arm together with the spring, whereby the device may be made to operate either right or left.

Another feature of my invention relates to the arrangement of devices employed to hold the spring arm in position upon the bracket casting, the arrangement being such as will obviate all danger of putting the parts together in a manner the reverse of what they should be.

Another object of my invention is the com struction of a door check containing a main casting having a cored cylinder therein, a

lining' within said cylinder, and means for,

holding' the said lining in position. Other door checks with which I am familiar have been heretofore constructed having checking pistons operating within cylinders turned within a main or bracket casting. I have Yfound from experimentand practice, however, that the fluids commonly used in such ehecking devices act deleteriously upon the cast metal of which such main or bracket casting is formed, causing a roughening or eating' away of the smooth surface of the cylinder, consequent leakage past the piston, and ultimately spoiling the checking fluid itself. By the provision of a lining inserted within a cored cylinder and arranged to permit the checking piston to operate within such lining, .I am enabled to make the casting of Aany desired material, and the bushing or lining of some more suitable metal, as, for in stance,

pressed steel, which I have found to be very satisfactory for the purpose, while at the same time I eliminate the objectionable results mentioned as incidental to the prior practice.

In order to reduce .the expenseof .manufacture and facilitate the repair of the device, I insert the liningfrom a lateral opening in the main casting or cored cylinder, and thus do away with all'need of making the main casting with any openings at either end, or any caps for closing such openings. In order to accomplish this it is necessary that the cavity within the casting designed to receive the lining be cored out of a sizesomewhat larger than the outside of the lining itself, and that means be provided for holding the lining in position after it is put in the cavity.

Another object of my invention is the provision of novel means, to be hereinafter more particularly described, whereby the packing rings of the checking piston are held outwardly against the cylinder walls with a yielding force, and the openings between the several sections of the said rings are prevented from coming together and thus permitting leakage. Y I

Another object of my invention is the provision of a door check comprising a bracket,

an arm mounted thereon, a spring, means whereby the force of said spring is exerted against said bracket and arm respectively, a second arm having one end pivotally connected to the iirst arm, and mechanism at the .other end of said second arm whereby the leverage of the device, with the door near closed position, may be substantially varied, as set forth,y and without forming an increased resistance to be overcome through'the balance of the range of movement of the door.

The above, as well as such other objects as may hereinafter appear, I obtain by means of a construction which I have illustrated in preferred form in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a door closin device embodying my invention; v

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the connection whereby the spring operates to move the arm;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the bracket casting showing the checking plunger land its connection;

Fig. 5 is a sectional View of the plunger showing the valve therein;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the plunger packing rings;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the two rings separated a slight distance;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the spring device which I employ for holding the rings outwardly in contact with the cylinder walls and also preventing the meeting ends of the two adjacent rings from coming together.

'Figure 9 represents a modification in which a folded fiat spring 16 within the casing or arm 12 is used in order to actuate the chain 13, instead of the longitudinal spring shown in v Figure 2.

Projecting upwardly from a bracket, 1, is a shaft, 2, journaled in a sleeve, 3, which is tightly secured in a cap, 1, which in turn is securely held against rotation, relative to the bracket, by the head of a screw, 5. An arm, 6, is pivotally mounted with one end surrounding the shaft and sleeve and arranged to have a rotative movement relative to the sleeve, but constructed to rotate the shaft with it, this action being secured by means of a second cap, 7, which has recesses, 8, of unequal size, designed to engage corresponding projections, 9, on the arm. The recesses and projections, together with a bolt, 10,which passes through the cap 7 and engages the shaft 2 on one side at 11, constitute interlocking features which, by virtue of their irregularity, as shown, make it impossible for even a careless workman to put theparts together wrongly when the device is` first set up orwhen it is changed to reverse its operation.

The arm 6 is preferably tubular, and constitutes a casing or holding device within which is disposed a spring, 12, which acts against a chain or equivalent connection, 13, attached to a hook, 14, arranged to engage a groove, 15, in the sleeve 3. Pivotally connected to the arm 6, and movable relative thereto, I provide a second` arm, 16, the end of which, opposite to its point of connection to the arm 6, is secured to the door or frame, as circumstances may require, by means of an adjusting device comprising an anchor block, 17, a movable socket, 18, and a screw, 19, operating in a manner which I shall now describe. l

I/Vith apparatus of this class, as heretofore constructed, it has been necessary to exercise extreme care in securing exactly the right`l`o'\ cation of the anchor block to which the inner IIO\= a end of the second arm 16 is secured, `as a variation of but a very small fraction ofan inch in the position of this makes a material variation in the force or power exercised by the spring. In prior constructions it has also been impossible after the anchor block was secured, to adjust it, so as to get any variation in the strength or power of the spring, without taking it ofi" entirely and putting it in a new position. This obviously cannot be done with any degree of accuracy. In my construction, by the arrangement of a small screw, I amA enabled to move or adjust the socket to any desired position with the greatest ease and perfect accuracy and security. It is further to be noted that, bythe arrangement just described, the diiferent effect in the force and operation of the spring by suitable adjustment of the mechanism shown is sub- IOO stantial`(in some cases over fifty per cent.) V13D and yet noticeable only when the door is nearly in closed position, which is just where it is desirable` as for example, to hold an unlatched door shut against the wind, or to close the door 'against the resistance of the latch or friction of the casing.

After the door has been opened a few inches the effect of the adjustment materially decreases, and this continues until, when the door is widely opened, the force necessary to move or hold it is equal to or even a little less than it was when the leverag'e of the spring with the door closed was at its minimum, because of the fact that moving the anchored end of the second arm nearer the center of rotation of the first arm necessarily makes a slig'ht change in the position of the first arm in direction to slacken the tension of the spring, althoug'h at the same time it increases the leverage throug'h which the spring' acts so as to produce for the first few inches of dooropening a much larger deg'ree of movement of the outer end of the arm.

So far as relates to the broad idea of my invention, it is obviously immaterial whether the spring' connection is such as to secure compression of the spring by winding' the connecting' member around a fixed sleeve, as shown in the drawings, or by holding' the spring relatively stationary and rotating the part to which the connecting' member is attached, to effect a pull upon the said connecting' member, as the latter would be but a mere reversal.

lVithin the bracket casting 1 is a cored cylindricalchamber provided with a pressed steel lining', 20, closed at one end, as at 21, and held in place either by a plurality of screws like the screw Q2, or by pouring soft metal in between the lining and the surrounding cylinder. lVithin the lining is disposed a checking' piston or plunger, Q3, connected by a link, 21, to a crank arm, 25, secured upon the lower end of the shaft 2. A small port, 26, is provided in the lining 20, controlled by a valve, 2T, and communicating with a passage, 28, through which, in the checking operation of the device, the checking' Huid may pass to the opposite side of the checking' piston in the usual manner. The checking piston 2?) is provided with a port, 29, through it, closed by a ball valve, 30, arranged as shown in Fig.

The packing' rings for the checking piston are divided info halves, as shown in Figs. 6 and T, and between the rings and the piston are disposed the spring' devices, 31, having outwardly turned projections, 32, designed to engage the openings between the ends of the two half rings, these two projections being' so located on the spring 31 as to prevent the openings between the halfl rings of two adjacent rings from working around to the same point and causing' leakage. The spring' 31 itself is made sufiiciently wide to overlap back of both rings, and the projection 32 upon one end of it is arranged to enter the opening' between two adjacent portions of one ring, and the projection upon the other end of it is arranged to enter the opening between two adjacent portions Aof the next ring. By making' the spring' less than the length of one-half of one of the rings, it is obvious that the various ring' parts will be held in such position that they will break joints at different places, as shown clearly at 33 and 34 in Fig. 6.

In order to cushion the checking fluid as the door is suddenly opened, I place an inverted channel or groove, 35, on the underside of the cap, as shown, whereby when the checking' fluid passes around to the adjacent side of the chamber, a small body of air will be confined within such inverted channel and form a cushion, which will yield slightly to the fluid and prevent a tendency to leak around the shaft otherwise resulting' from sudden and excessive augmentation of pressure at such point.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The parts being' put together in the position shown in the several figures and the chamber within the lining' 2O filled with the checking' fluid, as also the chamber upon the opposite side of the checking' piston, when the door is opened the movement of the bracket 1 (because the outer end of the arm 6 is connected to the door frame through the instrumentality of the second arm 16) causes the arm 6 which carries the spring' 12 to rotate in a direction to pull upon the chain 13 and compress the spring, the hook 14 being' fixed in the groove 15 formed in the sleeve 3. The arm 6 being' made fast to the shaft Q through the instrumentality of the projections 9, recesses 8, cap 7 and bolt 10, causes the shaft E2 to rotate with it, and this, by means of the crank and connection 24, imparts movement to the checking' piston 23, the movement, while the door is opening', being' in a direction away from the end wall Q1 ofthe lining' 20. During this movement of the checking' piston the checkingfiuid has free passage through the port Q9 so as not to resist the opening' of the door, but when the door begins to close the ball closes the port 2%) and the checking' piston then begins to exert pressure upon the checking' fluid confined between it and the inner part of the lining' 2f), which is only relieved as the checking' fiuid is permitted to escape through the small port 26, past the adjust-ing' valve 27 and around to the opposite side of the chamber. The speed of the closing' movement of the door may obviously be readily controlled by suitable adjustment of the valve 2T.

In prior constructions of this class, where it has been possible to reverse theiractionat all, the change has involved considerable complication, because of the necessity of moving the springs and the arms separately and g'etting IOO IOS

them properly secured and connected in position. To change from right to left, or vice versa, with my construction, all that is necessary is to take out the small bolt 10, take o the arm and replace it the other side up, and then put the boltback into place, taking pains, of course, to see that the hook 14 is properly caught in the notch 15.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isv 1. A door closing apparatus comprising a bracket casting, a shaft projecting therefrom, a sleeve surrounding said shaft, a movable arm mounted with one of its ends engaging said sleeve and shaft, a spring within said arm, connections between said spring and said sleeve, and means for connecting the outer end of said arm with some part of the frame adjacent to the door.

2. The combination with the movable arm of a door closing apparatus, of a cap for holding said arm in place, sockets in the arm of dierent sizes, and lugs on said cap of sizes to correspond with the sizes of the sockets, and engaging' therewith.

3. A door checking and closing apparatus comprising a bracket casting, a checking device within the same, a shaft projecting from said casting and constructed to .actuate said checking device, an arm mounted upon said shaft, a spring within said arm connected so as to resist movement of the same relative to said shaft, and means for reversing the position of said arm and spring, whereby the spring and checking device may both be made to operate either right or left.

4. A door closing apparatus comprising a.

bracket casting, an arm and a spring carried by said arm, said arm and spring being reversible in position relative to the bracket casting so as to operate either a right or left hand door, substantially as described.

5. A door closing apparatus comprising a bracket casting, a shaft projecting therefrom, a movable arm mounted with one of its ends engaging said shaft, a spring within said arm, connections between said spring and means on said bracket casting, and means for connecting the outer end of said arm with some part of the frame adjacent to the door.

6. A piston packing having a plurality of rings made in parts, and a device engaging the parts of the said rings and holding them in position so as to break joints at different places, substantially as described.

7. A door check comprising a bracket, a checking device contained therein, an arm mounted upon the bracket and connected with said checking device so as to actuate the same, a spring carried by the arm, and means whereby the force of said spring is exerted against said bracket and arm respectively, substantially as described.

8. A door check comprising a bracket, a checking device contained therein, an arm detachably and reversibly pivoted to said bracket and connected with said checking device so as to actuate the same, and a spring connected with said bracket and arm respectively so as to normally resist the rotation of the latter upon the former, substantially as described.

9. A door check comprising a bracket, a checking device contained therein, an arm mounted upon the bracket and connected with said checking device so as to actuate the same,

a spring carried by said arm, and a chain4 11. In a door closing device the combination with an operating arm attached to the door frame, of a swinging hollow arm containing' a retractile spring and mounted pivotally at one end, and means by which the swinging of said latter arm contracts the spring by the motion of the door.

12. In a door closing mechanism the combinati on with the pivoted arm carrying a compression spring and mounted on a spindle and' rotating therewith, a supporting casing carrying the spindle and also a stationary sleeve, a chain engaging the sleeve and said spring whereby the swinging of the arm compresses the spring, and means on the spindle and contained in a separate chamber of the casing for checking by liquid flow the rotation of the said spindle and said pivoted arm, substantially as described.

13. In a door closer the combination of a hollow arm containing a compression spring therein, a rotatable spindle carrying said arm, a stationary sleeve engaging the spring and supporting said spindle and a supporting casing for the sleeve, containing means for opposing the motions of said arm and spindle, whereby the springin the hollow arm rotates the spindle and the means in the casing retards the said rotation, substantially described.

M. In door closing mechanism the combination with a fixed casing, of a swinging arm mounted upona shaft pivoted in said casing, a uid retarding device contained in said casing in a separate closed chamber and connected to said shaft, a spring on said swinging arm and a connection to the casing whereby the swinging of the arm compresses the said pring, and a connection from said arm to the oor. Y

IOO

IIO

15. In a door closing' device the combination of a fixed casing' having' a rotatable spindle mounted therein, a fixed sleeve surrounding' said spindle, a swing'ing' hollow arm cari ried on said spindle and provided with a compression spring', iiexible means attached to said spring' for winding' upon said fixed sleeve on the spindle, and a liquid retarding' device for the movement of said spindle mounted within the said casing, substantially as described.

16. In a door closing' device the combination with a swinging' arm and means for returning' it to normal position, a link attached to said arm and to the door frame, said link being' provided in its said attachment to the frame with a lateral adjustment to vary the angle between the normal position of the link and the first mentioned swing'ing' arm.

1T. In door closing mechanism the combination of a swing'ing' arm adapted to be pivotally connected to the door, a spring' mechanism for moving' said arm, an operating' link pivoted at one end to said arm at the outer end thereof, and attached to the door frame, and a means of attachment comprising a bracket and a screw rod mounted therein, a collar on the screw rod pivoted to the end of the link, whereby said link is adjustable in position toward and from the pivoted position of the spring' actuated swinging' arm.

18. In a door closing' device the combination with a fixed bracket having' a fixed sleeve thereon, of' a hollow spring-casing containing' a spring' and pivoted upon said sleeve and a chain attached to said spring' and to the sleeve so as to wind upon the said sleeve as the arm swings about its pivot.

.19. In a door closing' device the combination of' a hollow swing'ing'arm, a fixed casing', a rotatable spindle therein supporting' said arm, a spring' in said arm and means for compressing' it by winding' upon a fixed portion of the casing', and a separate chamber in the casingl containing means for checking' the rotation of the spindle of' the said arm, substantially described.

20. In a door closing' device a hollow bracket provided with a rotary spindle and a fixed sleeve projecting therefrom, a door closing' arm pivoted upon the fixed sleeve and means for opposing' the opening' of the door, and means connected to said spindle operated by the swinging' arm to check the return ot' the door, substantially as described.

21. .In a door closing device,a hollow' bracket forming' a checking' fluid chamber provided with a by-pass and with a separate lining' for the piston cylinder and closed by a screw plug' provided with a packing' chamber.

In testimony whereotl l have hereunder signed my name in the presence of the two subscribed witnesses.

OSCAR C. RIXSON.

WVitneSSes:

PAUL CARPENTER, PAUL SYNNEsTvmD'r. 

